Meth
Phobia |
Are Addicts Made or Born?
Ever since I found out
that recoveringfreak was using I have been trying to educate
myself endlessly about addicts and their addictions - to meth
and to whatever else that one could be addicted to.
However, in this learning process more and more questions
surface...the burning question I have now is...
"Are Addicts Made or
Born?"
Would anyone like to comment?...will the answer differ depending
on which side of the fence you're on - whether you're an
addict/recovering addict vs. the loved ones of an
addict/recovering addict? |
| Replies... |
| Sfj |
Re: Are Addicts Made or Born?
Both. |
eyes
open83 |
Re: Are Addicts Made or Born?
born in my
opinion...
why can some people use drugs heavily and never become addicted
and others are addicted very quickly? |
1lave
me |
Re: Are Addicts Made or Born?
I speak for
myself only I believe I was born with it because in my mother's
and father's families there has been some kind of substance
abuse. within my own family siblings have had their share some
type of substance abuse. |
| inkolb |
Re: Are Addicts Made or Born?
i truly
believe we are born. my first encounter with drugs was when i
was 3 years old. i took a whole bottle of baby aspirins and had
to be rushed to the hospital. now i really don't know for sure
if that was my start but my sisters were with me and could have
helped me take those pills but they said no way. why did i do it
and why have i led a whole life of drug abuse of some sort. |
Time4
Change |
Re: Are Addicts Made or Born?
I think I
agree with Sfj Both.
I think some people are born with an addictive personality. I
think some learn by their parents and what they grew up with and
others I think are just in the wrong place at the wrong time and
are curious. Others I think do it to fit in and in time become
addicted.
I think there are many paths to he||. |
kmb
2006 |
Re: Re: Are Addicts Made
or Born?
I believe
that addiction in an inherited trait. I am an addict who has
never used. I never drank or used because I knew how easily I
could become addicted. I watched my mom crawl into a bottle of
vodka and never come out. |
small
town
GIRL |
Re: Re: Are Addicts Made
or Born?
I saw a
therapist on Monday and she wanted to know my history. She told
me ie alcohol / drug addictions are in your genes and you inherit
them. But she also said it could skip a generation. |
scared
ma |
Re: Re: Are Addicts Made
or Born?
I think
both. I know I personally have a very addictive personality. I
never drank or used drugs because I knew it took me just a
matter of days to become addicted to smoking cigarettes. I still
smoke and have for 34 years. I knew better than to try anything
else. I have a long history in my family of alcoholism. My son's
(meth addict) dad has a long history of drug and alcohol abuse. |
boys
36 |
Re: Re: Are Addicts Made
or Born?
WOW
inkolb I did the same thing you did but I was only 2. My Mom was
on the phone and had left the top off the baby aspirins. I liked
the way they tasted ( those great tasting orange ones) and when
she got off the phone I told her I was all better now and showed
her the empty bottle. I had to go to the ER and get my stomach
pumped. It must have made some kind of impression on me cause I
never touched drugs again. My daughter is an addict. She never
even wanted to take a Tylenol when she had a headache but when
she turned 16 she used every drug she could get her hands on. So
I still don't know the answer to that question...... was she
born an addict or made one????? |
Tender
hearts
KS |
Re: Are Addicts Made or Born?
Well, I'm a
recovering addict, was married to an active addict, and have a
child who is an active addict. I think it's a combination of
both. That being said, it's really irrelevant to me how I
'became' an addict. I am what I am, and am grateful for where I
am at today
|
Meth
Phobia |
Re: Are Addicts Made or Born?
Hhmmm...
This is really a tough one...the only reason why I posted this
was to try and understand the psyche of an addict...personally I
have not been addicted to anything in my life and I've had my
fair share of:
"You will never understand...you don't drink"
"You don't get it because you've never tried it (dope)"
To me, and I speak for myself only, addictions mean letting
something else consume you - take over and control your life
such that you end up living, thinking and breathing the
addiction...
And this seems to be a choice that a person should be able to
make...to use or not to use.
But from what I understand so far...the addicts point of view
seem to be that they lack this ability to make this
decision...that when they become addicted its not a choice that
they made...
I too tend to believe more and more now that and addicts psyche
is somewhat different from a non-addict...that the way the brain
functions is somewhat different...you can't make someone
addicted to something if they don't have that 'addictive bug' to
start off with.
However, I don't think that its hereditary in any way because
that doesn't quite make sense.
If addicts are made - trained or taught to become addicts then
it seems to me that they can be 'un-made' - retrain or
re-teach...
But if they were born...I guess the battle becomes even
harder...
I'm getting confused myself trying to sort this out...but thanks
to everyone who replied for your valuable input...I'll keep
trying to figure this one out and many more questions I have...
My only aim is to understand so that I know how to deal with my
beloved hubby...because I married an addict and I want HIM to
win the battle against all his addictions...
But how???...there seems to be no one solution...but I'll keep
searching for one that will work so we keep our family united
against the evils of addictions in general... |
scared
ma |
Re: Are Addicts Made or Born?
Tenderheart,
you are right. The reason is not important. What you are today
is. |
Tender
hearts
KS |
Re: Are Addicts Made or Born?
Quote:
My only aim is to understand so that
I know how to deal with my beloved hubby...because I married
an addict and I want HIM to win the battle against all his
addictions...
But how???...there seems to be no one solution...but I'll
keep searching for one that will work so we keep our family
united against the evils of addictions in general...
He's the only one who can win the battle
against his addictions. You are looking for a 'pat' answer to a
complex disease. It doesn't exist.
The best way you can 'help' anyone is to be true to yourself, to
work on yourself, to love yourself and be the best person you
can be.
Can you be supportive in his recovery? Absolutely. But you can't
do it 'for' him. |
forget
suzette |
Re: Are Addicts Made or Born?
made.......unless your mom was addicted when you were born.
If I never did meth, I wouldn't be an addict.
...I wouldn't have "the other me" ...I'd just be me. |
25 years
but no
more |
Re: Are Addicts Made or Born?
A little of
both. I do believe that if our parents were addicts that there
is a more likely chance that we will be addicts. Your life
experiences make you the person that you are today. |
forget
suzette |
Re: Are Addicts Made or Born?
Quote:
A little of both. I do believe that
if our parents were addicts that there is a more likely
chance that we will be addicts. Your life experiences make
you the person that you are today.
ok......that covered "made" how do you get
"born" out of that? you think people are born to be
addicts?..........it's always YOUR choice. if you never
pick up, you'll never be an addict. just a discussion.
.....show me the way, how are you born an addict?.....besides,
the mother being addicted when you were born.
I've come to realize......the object of this game is to go thru
life and not acquire a need for anything. the less you
need, the richer you are........anyone can achieve that, we all
have the same chance to choose I think. |
Meth
Phobia |
Re: Are Addicts Made or Born?
Quote:
..........it's always YOUR choice.
if you never pick up, you'll never be an addict
After a night of endless thinking I am
inclined to believe this sentence of yours suzie...
That EVERYONE has a choice...it doesn't matter whether you are
born or made an addict...
Regardless of born or made...you were presented with a choice -
to be addicted or not.
But this line of thinking then leads me to feel that this might
then be a matter of willpower?
Which means to say that an addict might have a weaker will power
- to allow their lives to be controlled by their addictions...
I know I might get blasted for this...but its just a
thought...I'm still in the process of rationalizing...
Hmmmm |
sickand
tired77 |
Re: Are Addicts Made or Born?
I say both.
While some people are born with a genetic predisposition toward
developing chemical dependencies, it takes using those
substances to launch an active addiction. |
forget
suzette |
Re: Are Addicts Made or Born?
can someone
please explain being BORN an addict?.....how? ..........how are
you BORN a fuking addict?
I'm turning this one over and over and I just don't see how you
can pop out of your mom a drug addict.
you mean destiny?.....you mean if your parents use?
that's all LEARNED behavior and your CHOICE. right?
this is driving me nuts! how? I was not an addict
when I was born.
i
I WAS NOT BORN AN ADDICT!
......BUT I WILL PUT MY ADDICTION UP AGAINST THE BADDDEST OF THE
BAD.....I'M AN ADDICT NOW! A BIG ONE.
....could some one explain being born an addict to me please?
Quote:
Which means to say that an addict
might have a weaker will power - to allow their lives to be
controlled by their addictions...
I'm very willful......but so is meth. meth
made me imbalanced without it.
....I don't "just wanna use" and use for kicks...(well..heh,
maybe a little)
I wasn't functional with or without it....but at least with it
there's a false sense of well being.
1.it's economic....if I was a rich kid, I would have seen a dr
that told me I was ADHD and put me on meds.
...since I wasn't, like a cat finds catnip, or koala bears find
leaves, I found meth...at first I got focus from it.
2. mental disorders .......damn near all of us have one.
and 90% were molested....I did a poll on my board...and everyone
was molested, but no one thinks drugs were the reason.
3. self image.....fat? shy? lonely?
4. learned behavior. yes, when I was raised drugs were an
accepted form of behavior. all that is known now wasn't
know then.....my parents did coke.
but they stopped, without NA without desire to return after 5 or
7 years.
.....why didn't I do that? they just decided they were
wasting their time and flat stopped, never to return.
I go back again and again. |
